The history and future of Iron Creek Church
by Sybil Kolon for Manchester Area Historical Society The Iron Creek Community Church, founded as a Free Will Baptist Church in 1855, was dissolved earlier this year. Unbeknownst to many, the congregation had been shrinking for years. There are some sad aspects of this story, but it also presents an opportunity to preserve a modest, […]
Another find at the Sutton/Kolongowski farmhouse
by Sara Swanson We reported on the finds from the Sutton/Kolongowski farmhouse deconstruction project that happened last fall. Sybil Kolon let us know that within the last month there is another find to add to the list! On invitation, a metal detectorist, Chris Trudell, investigated the area. The most interesting find was a crotal bell […]
What was discovered during the Sutton/Kolongowski farmhouse deconstruction?
Editor’s note: Last October we ran an article about the impending deconstruction of the house at 11703 Noggles Rd and subsequent planned workshops by the Manchester Area Historical Society. The house is being demolished as part of the process of creating a public nature preserve, as Legacy Land Conservancy becomes the new steward of this […]
Bringing an old schoolhouse back to life
by Marsha Chartrand Bob Mottice and his wife, Sandy, have always enjoyed their historic Sharon Township home. And for the last few decades, they have enjoyed creating a miniature historic village that surrounds their home. This includes a reconstructed 1840s cabin and other historic structures, all built or re-built using methods and tools available to […]
One photo, the story of two Manchester men
by Sara Swanson When Garrett Scott, an Ann Arbor–based rare book dealer, ran across a photo in a collection with “Manchester, Michigan” on it, he passed it on to us. It contains the names of not one, but two former Manchester residents. These are a bit of these men’s stories. The photo shows a man […]
Let us never forget …
by Marsha Chartrand It’s been nearly 105 years since Emil Jacob died in service to his country during World War I. Emil, the only soldier from Manchester who died during The Great War, as it was then known, grew up in Lenawee County but moved with his family to Sharon Township when he was 16. […]
The story of a sign in a building
submitted by Ray Berg, Manchester Area Historical Society Recent visitors to downtown Manchester have noticed ongoing reconstruction at 118 E Main St, traditionally known as “the bakery shop.” Developer Jason Cooper purchased this building, and also the adjacent 122 E Main St building, and is converting them into a combination of office storefront, a planned […]
History: The Manchester Hospital?
Editors’ note: Reprinted and adapted from an article published in The Manchester Enterprise, April 30, 1992 by Marsha Chartrand When we first purchased our home in Manchester, people would ask where we lived. One of the frequent comments was, “Oh, yes, Mrs. Gumpper’s house.“ Having since learned the interesting history of what is certainly by […]
Phrenology and Ghosts in Manchester, Part One of Two
by Ray Berg and Alan Dyer Early Manchester Adult Education Small towns on the western frontier in the 1840s hungered for the latest educational, social, and literary developments, particularly by those residents who had come from the larger cities in New York. Manchester was no exception. This hunger was largely fed by touring lecturers, […]
Phrenology and Ghosts in Manchester, Part Two of Two
BY RAY BERG AND ALAN DYER Have you read part 1? Click HERE to read part 1! Parnell’s Head As he requested, Dr. Parnell’s head was removed, preserved and shipped to Fowler & Wells in New York City. The brothers Lorenzo Niles Fowler (1811-1896) and Orson Squire Fowler (1809-1887) were two of the leading phrenologists […]
